Urban Vampires

Tanner lay motionless on the park bench listening carefully to his surroundings. He warily opened his right eye, which was partially obscured by the wine bottle hidden in a paper bag, and glanced around searching for signs of movement. Seeing none, he opened both eyes wider then began the tedious exercise of rising while pretending to be drunk. This was rather difficult since he had never been much of a drinker thus had very little experience. Still, he managed a convincing performance and began to stagger his way down the paved walkway towards the street which fronted the park.

Tonight had been the third attempt to witness what every other person in the teeming metropolis did everything in their power to avoid. A savage killer was loose and rampaging through the sanctuaries of nature in an otherwise urban jungle. The body count was approaching double digits and the authorities were beseeching the public for any clues.

Being a rookie reporter for one of the major newspapers and wanting to make a name for himself, Tanner had come up with the clever (or as his colleagues called it, suicidal) plan of staking out various parks in the hopes of bearing witness to an attack. In one fell swoop he would get an exclusive story, get recognized for his ingenuity, and if all went according to plan, rescue the intended victim from the madman’s grasp.

At the final turn in the path, Tanner turned his head to the right as he caught a glimpse of motion behind him. He could see nothing in the darkness, but his instincts told him otherwise. Standing motionless, he cocked his ear down the path he had followed but heard nothing as well.

“Seeing things… great!” He said softly, “I guess everyone was right, I am losing my mind.”

Smiling a lopsided grin and feeling a little foolish, Tanner turned to take the final steps to the street. Suddenly a shape formed out of the darkness and hit him hard in the midsection, knocking him to the ground breathless. Looking up, the shape became clearer in the dim glow from the nearest streetlamp. Dark eyes stared down at him from sockets set deep in an exceedingly pale face.

“I’ve seen you before haven’t I?” The figure asked rhetorically. Tanner could hear the confidence in the man’s quiet voice, but couldn’t quite place the accent. “Yes, you’ve been in other parks that I frequent myself but until now I’ve chosen not to reveal my presence.”

“Why now?” Tanner inquired in a raspy voice, his wind finally returning to him.

“Simple.” The dark figure replied succinctly. “You’ve become a hindrance that must be addressed.”

“Meaning you’re going to kill me like you killed all the others.” Tanner almost spat at the menacing figure above him. The figure started to laugh but it ended abruptly as other silhouettes began to take shape against the darkness.

“You find something amusing Milosh?” Inquired a voice from behind Tanner and he spun his head to face a larger more fearsome form which distinctly resembled the first.

“Nothing at all, Tor.” Stated the first sharply, some of the assurance disappearing from his voice.

“I see you’ve found him. Assuming he is the one we’re looking for.” Tor stated accusingly.

“Of course he’s the one, I don’t make mistakes.” countered Milosh.

During this exchange, Tanner noticed that at least a dozen figures had surrounded him and the man referred to as Milosh. Alarm began creeping through his body and he had to actively fight the feeling of panic urging him to break free of the group and run as fast as his feet could carry him.

“Get up!” Tor barked in Tanner’s direction. “Now.”

Tanner rose slowly and straightened his clothing on the way up. He managed to surreptitiously adjust the safety catch on the handgun hidden in his right pocket. If this was going to be the end, he wasn’t going out without a fight. Looking around cautiously, he noticed that although each person was unique, they all shared certain characteristics. Almost as if they were somehow related.

“Why do you insist on interfering in business which does not concern you?” Tor demanded of Tanner.

Returning to his full height had restored some of Tanner’s composure so that his response wasn’t quite as emotional as it had been to Milosh’s questioning.

“I’m a reporter. Every potential story is my business.”

“A reporter?” Tor responded with confusion. “Milosh, you said he was an agent of Drago’s.”

“I believed him to be. I was mistaken after all Tor, please accept my apology.” Milosh offered hastily.

“Alright, let’s get out of here. He might be about to attack right now for all we know. Everyone take their assigned spots and inform me the moment any contact is made.”

At this, all the figures disappeared into the shadows as quickly as they had materialized. Although Tanner noticed that Milosh remained just a few seconds longer, as if to witness the outcome of this unexpected confrontation.

“You mean you’re not responsible for the murders?” Tanner asked, comprehension beginning to dawn though he still couldn’t make sense of this stranger.

“Not the recent gruesome ones, no. But I won’t lie to you, none of us are innocent.” Tor responded enigmatically.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tanner asked

Tor chose that moment to step fully into the light cast by the nearest streetlamp and Tanner involuntarily took a step backwards. The paleness of his face was more apparent than ever, and his dark deep eyes mirrored those of Milosh. As his grin broadened, he displayed a pair of sharp fangs protruding from his upper jaw.

“You’re… vampires?” Tanner asked disbelievingly.

“Yes, we’re vampires. Although, not in the traditional sense that your people prefer to portray in books and movies. We have co-existed with humans for centuries, but superstition and denial have always been insurmountable barriers between us. Evolution separated us from the same genes as you possess and we have had to cope as a minority ever since.”

“But you do live off the lifeblood of others. So you’re all murderers.” Tanner stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes and no. Have each of us killed? Yes. Do we anymore? No.”

“What do you mean? You either are or you aren’t.”

“We have adapted to the urban environment. Originally our people could travel more freely, attacking settlements and villages at will without detection. But now with so many people in one city it becomes much more difficult to be discrete. Not to mention the ethical dilemma we have encountered in the last few generations.”

“What kind of ethics do vampires have to deal with?” Tanner scoffed.

“Our culture has evolved alongside your own and our values aren’t that different from yours. We know it is wrong to kill, but still we must feed. Your people raise livestock in many forms in order to provide sustenance, and we have simply applied this same theory to our own needs.” Tor explained with seemingly endless patience.

“So now you have human farms?” Tanner asked in shocked bewilderment.

“In a way. Who do you think organizes the substantial amount of blood-drives in this country? Where does it all go? The accounting procedures when dealing with blood are surprisingly lenient compared to those pertaining to financial transactions.”

“What are you saying? You run the Red Cross?” Tanner asked sarcastically.

At this, Tor actually chuckled. “No, not exactly. We have people in place amongst various organizations which collect and store blood supplies. From there, distribution is as simple as creating the necessary paperwork. We no longer need to murder innocent humans, but there are still some rogues among us who refuse to adopt this new way of life and believe that humans are no better than cattle. That is why we are out hunting tonight, to stop the vampire who is ravaging out fair city, not to mention drawing unwanted attention to our kind. Once we find him, both our races will be better off.”

“I can’t believe…” Tanner’s words trailed off as his reporter’s brain tried to make sense of the information he had stumbled across. “Nobody would.”

“That’s precisely why I am willing to allow you to live. Had you brought someone else with you, I would have been compelled to partake of something I have sworn against unless out of absolute necessity.” Tor stated as he began to walk away.

“You’re just going to let me go. Even though I’m a reporter? What if I decided to write this story and expose you?” Tanner asked the shape disappearing into the shadows.

“As you said yourself, nobody would believe you.” And with a final flash of a smile that gleamed in the light from the streetlamp, the vampire vanished into the inky blackness.